"So here are the questions: please keep your response civil.
Are anglers who keep big bass (and not sell them) even though they've taken many that are even larger, doing it just for a “Photo Op” or notoriety?
Are anglers just killing bass for entry into their fishing club contests?
Can we rationalize keeping large cows when we can just as well keep a smaller specimen? "
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1. could be but maybe it's just because they are proud to have landed a large fish or want to share the fish with family or friends or even people who don't get to fish.
2. Possibly, but first off they'd have to be in a club that has a contest and second they'd have to want to be in on the contest.
3. that's very interesting and I am sure opinions will vary. If I get a 50 from shore, I am 99.9% sure it goes on the wall or atleast a fiberglass mount of it will.
I usually keep about 3 or 4 fish per year and compared to the hundreds I release, I don't think that's too bad. I keep bass from 15 lbs to 25 lbs usually but I have kept in the past 5 years 2 fish over 30 and 2- 40 pounders. I have let alot of 30's go, but never released a 40 yet. I hope I get the chance to release a plug caught 40 someday.
I agree that if you intend to release a bass, then unhook it with as little harm to the fish as possible, by weighing it hanging vertically that can really harm a large fish.
I think KarlF released his personal best this year
Hybrid Mode
